Yellow Brass Fittings Have Been the Subject of Major Lawsuits!
PEX plumbing systems with yellow brass fittings have cost homeowners so much money that many have taken legal action against builders, plumbers and manufacturers!
Kitec and Rehau are brand names for 2 different plumbing systems that utilize plastic tubing and poor quality “yellow brass” connectors (fittings)
What Makes Kitec Different?
There are a lot of similarities between Kitec and the other PEX products on the market, but there are also some major differences. PEX is the standard abbreviation for “PolyEthylene, cross-linked(X)”, the type of plastic used in Kitec and Rehau pipe. One main difference is that Kitec is based on metric sizing and the other manufacturers are on standard English sizing. Besides the fact that Kitec has at present pulled completely out of the United States and no longer sells product here, the fact that it is a metric sized pipe makes it impossible to find fittings to work with this pipe.
Also, the fittings that Kitec used were made of inferior quality brass (they had a high percentage of zinc in them) which has lead to them dezincifying (having the zinc leeched out of them). The results of this leeching are shown above and below. Zinc oxide builds up as a white residue and restricts the flow of water, leading to low water pressure.
What Makes Rehau Different?
Like Kitec, there are a lot of similarities between Rehau and the other PEX products on the market, but again, there are also major differences. The primary problem with Rehau is that the fittings used were made of inferior quality brass (they have a high percentage of zinc in them) which has lead to them dezincifying (having the zinc leeched out of them). As these fittings corrode they pull zinc into your water system and there is a high potenital for cracking and breaking of the water lines.
Many PEX plumbing systems were installed (prior to about 2012) with yellow brass fittings that contain a high concentration of zinc (brass is an alloy of copper and zinc). Water with a high pH causes the zinc to separate from the copper (dezincification) and increases the tendency for the fittings to leak or break. Yellow brass fittings have failed in many cities and should be replaced immediately!
Repiping fixes theses problems, saves you money and eliminates worry
Repiping is a system-wide solution that allows you to take a comfortable shower, wash dishes, wash laundry, and in fact, use all faucets and fixtures at the same time, all with no leaks or corrosion.
Repiping gives you great water pressure throughout your home, improves delivery of hot water, eliminates costly water damage repair bills and saves money on water lost to an inefficient system.
But most importantly, repiping eliminates the inferior plumbing system from your home, giving you quality plumbing and peace of mind from this point forward.
If You Have Yellow Brass Fittings, Repiping is the solution!
If you think you may have yellow brass fittings in your plumbing system, call 1-800-REPIPING for a free estimate! Our expert technicians will assess your existing plumbing condition and get you started on the road to worry-free plumbing.
Remember, Repipe Specialists often charges half of what a plumber would charge, so call 1-800-REPIPING (1-800-737-4746) today!